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Institutional Abuse Lawyers Wood Buffalo

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Speak with our Wood Buffalo institutional abuse lawyers and get legal answers to your institutional abuse questions.

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An estimated 1.8 million residents of Alberta have been the subjects of sexual violence. That means almost one in two members of the local population have been assaulted, abused, or exploited in a sexual manner, oftentimes by someone they thought they could trust.

As a result of the abuse to which they were subjected, survivors of sexual violence often develop severe mental health disorders, as well as unhealthy coping mechanisms. People who have been subjected to sexual violence are 13 times more likely to develop alcoholism and 26 times more likely to develop substance use disorders than those who have not suffered abuse.

Struggles with addiction and other mental health disorders can have expensive repercussions. Survivors of sexual abuse may find it difficult to secure stable employment and may require psychological counseling, psychiatric treatments, addiction recovery services, and other expensive measures to cope with their trauma.

But these are not the only financial impacts routinely suffered by survivors of sexual abuse. Many people who were abused by trusted authority figures in their childhoods or teenage years often find it impossible to complete their education. This could result in a failure to reach their fullest earning potential and a reduced future earning capacity throughout their adult lives.

Sexual abusers often seek out employment or volunteer opportunities in settings that place them in close proximity to children, young people, or members of vulnerable communities whom they believe can be more easily manipulated or coerced into non-consensual sexual activities. As such, sexual predators tend to find work as:

  • Teachers
  • Religious leaders
  • Sports coaches
  • Scout leaders
  • Camp counselors
  • Extra-curricular programme administrators
  • Caregivers
  • Foster parents
  • Juvenile detention centre guards
  • Psychiatric hospital employees
  • And more

In many instances, a sexual abuser’s employer or other entity (such as a governing body overseeing their conduct in the workplace) may learn that they are engaging in sexual misconduct and subjecting people in their care to abuse without taking any actions to reprimand them or put a stop to their criminality. This is often referred to as “systemic” or “institutional” sexual abuse.

If it can be proven that a sexual predator’s employer or another organization responsible for introducing the abuser to their targets was guilty of systemic or institutional sexual abuse, that entity might be considered liable for damages incurred by the abuser’s victims. That means, by working with our Wood Buffalo sexual abuse lawyers, you may be able to hold the parties and entities responsible for your experience accountable for their actions.

In accordance with the province’s Limitations Act, there is no time limit on sexual abuse claims. That means that, even if your abuse took place many years ago, you might still be eligible to pursue a civil claim to recover damages you have incurred as a result of being abused. To learn more about working with our sexual abuse lawyers serving Wood Buffalo, contact us today and receive a free initial consultation on your case.

Contact Our Wood Buffalo Sexual Abuse Lawyers

Our Wood Buffalo sexual abuse lawyers are passionate about fighting on behalf of people who were subjected to the criminal actions of sexual predators. To learn how we may be able to help you get the closure and compensation you deserve, contact us and speak with our sexual abuse lawyers serving Wood Buffalo today.

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Commonly Asked institutional abuse Questions

Here are our most asked questions on institutional abuse claims.

Institutional abuse cases typically involve the following steps:

  • Investigate the claim and get the right parties;
  • File a lawsuit;
  • Develop your case through documents and experts;
  • Participating in discovery to provide a chance for the lawyers to ask the parties questions about the case;
  • Participate in Mediation. Mediation provides a chance to resolve your case without going to court; and
  • Go to trial. Most cases settle, but if the parties cannot reach an agreement, asking a court to assess the case is the solution.

Records about the victim and the perpetrator are both important to confirm what happened and the impact the abuse had on the victim. We strongly recommend expert reports from a psychiatrist, a vocational expert, and an economist to fully prove the case.

Unfortunately, perpetrators seek out work with children. Therefore, institutions must be vigilant in training and monitoring staff and taking any allegations very seriously. Leaders of organizations may be hesitant to expose these types of allegations and fully investigate claims as it will hurt the institution. This concern to protect the organization may lead to this same staff continuing to abuse the same victim or others.

Abuse is physical or sexual violence. Institutional abuse is when organizations fail to train or monitor their staff, and abuse is allowed to continue and spread. Organizations may also fail to investigate allegations of abuse, which allows abusers to continue their crimes.

Any victim of institutional abuse can sue. The limitation period has been changed to remove strict limitation periods when bringing their claims, so you may be able to bring a lawsuit for abuse that happened decades ago.

Both the individual abuser and the organization that put them in a position of trust may be liable to pay victims damages. Most organizations have insurance in place for specific periods, so the insurer who covered the period when the abuse happened ultimately pays for the compensation.

Lawyers can help investigate your claim and confirm the right entities to sue. Determining the governance of religious and other organizations is not always obvious. Lawyers hire experts to explain the impact of the trauma on your life and career. Telling your story is essential to getting a strong result.

The limitation act changed, so there is no time limit for bringing your claim. The government recognized that assault victims often repress memories, and it would be unfair to prevent victims from bringing their claims before they remember what happened.

Compensation, or damages, are determined by dividing your case up into segments known as heads of damage. When abuse causes a student to leave school or alters their career, these claims can be quite significant. The typical heads of damage for abuse claims include:

  • Pain and suffering;
  • Past wage loss, including interest;
  • Future wage loss;
  • Out-of-pocket expenses; and
  • Expected future care.

Yes. Lawyers can bring an application to the court and get an order to proceed with the lawsuit, but only list your initials.

SURVIVOR OF INSTITUTIONAL ABUSE IN WOOD BUFFALO?

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